Ludhiana: Missing barriers turn Elevated Road into accident hotspot

Local residents have repeatedly urged NHAI to install metal crash barriers on the elevated road to prevent such incidents; the absence of these barriers poses a severe risk, especially when heavy vehicles lose control or collide at high speed

Frequent accidents on the elevated road connecting the Ludhiana bus stand to Ferozepur Road have intensified into a serious concern for city commuters, highlighting critical lapses in road safety. The glaring absence of metal crash barriers on this stretch is being widely seen as a major oversight by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Experts are warning that even minor mishaps could turn fatal due to this negligence, putting countless lives at risk.

A part of the road got damaged after a truck loaded with sand and gravel overturned, causing traffic disruption along the Ferozepur Road. (Manish/HT)

The issue came to the fore once again on Friday morning, when a truck loaded with sand and gravel overturned on the elevated corridor around 7.30 am. The accident led to massive traffic disruption during peak hours, causing inconvenience to hundreds of commuters heading towards Ferozepur Road. Authorities took several hours to clear the debris and restore vehicular movement.

According to eyewitnesses, the truck skidded and lost balance near a curve, eventually toppling and blocking a major section of the road. “Had there been a proper crash barrier, the vehicle would have been stopped from falling or sliding across lanes,” said a commuter stuck in the jam.

Local residents have repeatedly urged NHAI to install metal crash barriers on the elevated road to prevent such incidents. The absence of these barriers poses a severe risk, especially when heavy vehicles lose control or collide at high speed, often veering onto the opposite side of the road or threatening to fall off the edge.

“Such infrastructure is mandatory for elevated roads under road safety norms,” said a senior official from the traffic department. “We have raised the matter with NHAI several times, but no concrete steps have been taken so far.” said a team member from authority engineer of NHAI.

In the past few months, multiple accidents have been reported on this elevated stretch, yet the safety infrastructure remains incomplete. Commuters and road safety advocates are now demanding urgent intervention from the authorities before another accident claims innocent lives.

NHAI project director, Priyanka, said, “I have already asked the safety audit team to look into the matter and if there is any need for a metal crash barrier then, we will send a proposal to higher authorities.”

Recently in the past, The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has marked an inquiry and asked the project director to submit a report.

In a letter addressed to NHAI’s senior officials, a group of ex-employees of the firm mentioned in past weeks, “This is not just a question of missing infrastructure. It is about public safety.” The complainants pointed out that although the road was declared complete and inaugurated, the mandatory safety feature of crash barriers, crucial to prevent accidents on high-speed corridors, are absent or of substandard quality.

The ex-employees also highlighted structural failures in some installed crash barriers, which reportedly collapsed earlier this year. “No remedial action was taken. In fact, gaps in crash barriers at several locations continue to pose a serious risk to commuters,” the complaint notes. A mandatory safety audit has not been conducted before issuing the project’s completion certificate, the whistleblowers claim.

A senior NHAI official, who didn’t wish to be named, said, “We have received the letter. A report was sent to higher officials a few weeks ago. We have not issued full payment to the contractor.”

In November last year, the contractor had begun nailing 2,500 crash barriers along the 6.5-km stretch from Bharat Nagar Chowk to the octroi post. Later, an NHAI survey revealed that several crash barriers, critical for the safety of commuters, had weakened, raising concerns over the quality of the construction work. Now, this inspection report too has been sent to the audit team, the official quoted above mentioned.